Retail stores generally include several point of sale (POS) lanes used to facilitate consumer checkout and purchase processes. In certain cases, for example when not operating at full capacity, a store with multiple POS lanes may have one or more closed POS lanes. Such closed POS lanes typically have no cashier, or other purchase process, available for a consumer to interact with. Often a closed lane has no barricade that would otherwise prevent shoppers from entering or exiting the store through the closed lane. In addition, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers of closed lanes can typically be turned off to avoid possible interference with RFID readers in adjacent, open lanes.
This can create issues because, when customers pass through a closed POS lane, items tagged with an RFID tag are not read. For example, RFID tagged items that were not paid for, and that exit through a closed POS lane, may not be detected as a shrink (also referred to as “theft”) attempt/event. It is often critical that any theft attempt event be identified early enough to allow store personnel to respond to the event before the item or items are carried out of the store. Furthermore, stolen items can adversely affect inventory counts which can be crucial to conducting an efficient retail operation.
Second, when entering a store through a closed POS lane or other area of the store, shoppers may be carrying or wearing tagged items that were previously purchased from that store or, in some cases, from another store. In such instances, the tagged item may be read by an RFID reader in the store, forcing the store's system to determine the state of the tagged item, but without having the information that the item was actually introduced from the outside (and was not otherwise an item already in stock at the store). This can create issues because inventory accuracy correction systems (e.g., tracking the count of inventory of the item of the store) may be based on the lack of information, incorrectly assign the state of the tagged item and, thereby, introduce error into any related inventory control or tracking system.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods directed to improved RFID functions for associated with point of sale lanes.
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The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.